chapter 483

9/16/2017

Spiritual Vortex

into the nether world

As we entered this magical place you could feel the inspirational energy field. It's hard to capture the magnitude of the place on film. This shot is from within the 180 foot upper falls area. It is truly a special place in New York State.

I've updated the photo album above with the addition of many summertime photos.

When I ascended up this stairway to heaven I was thinking of you taxpayers who have graciously contributed the $800,000 upgrade costs so that the DEC can make this a safer hike. Several hikers have slipped and fallen to their deaths in this area. Although these might seem like easy safe steps, but they are still steep, long, wet and slippery with leaves. They will also freeze in winter as this clove valley is always moist. A head first fall would do major damage. I photographed a guy carrying his baby in a backpack up there. Imagine what a slip would do? Next will there be a public outcry for DEC to sweep, wash and dry the steps? Conservationism like terrorism; one cannot protect everybody from everything.

The 2 mile round trip hike is a good work out probably similar in effort to the Mt Jo Adirondack hike. The new steps are only in the steeper sections; many boulders to navigate around on the majority of the trail.

A nice trail with a hand rail now gives access to this upper falls and pool area. From the pool level one can climb further up here to the cavern area if you are willing.

The trail upgrades to prevent deaths I sadly predict will have the opposite effect. There are a lot more people accessing the upper falls area now that it is "safer" and easier. You know people, there will just be more people doing crazy things at the precipice like yoga hand stands and selfies. I encouraged this hiker to get closer to the edge of the overlook to the 80 foot lower tier falls to make my photo more dramatic. He was hesitant but I gave him a quarter anyway.

Colleen's cell phone captured a bit of the feel of this cavern behind the falls. I was drawn by an invisible spirit to this area. Don't know why, just had to do it.

I'm guessing the hard perhaps limestone and granite rock overlying the softer sandstone material combined with water pool scour and other erosive forces created this.

To cross this stream and stay dry I had to practice some angulation and physical therapy techniques on this 2 year anniversary of my hip replacement surgery. I'm able to put more weight bearing stress on the left fake joint now, but it's still a work in progress.

We had an early start to avoid most of the maddening New York City crowd on this popular hike. Reflecting back on some of the hikers encountered, there were 4 teen girls just starting from the bottom as we finished. They had horrible Latin music blaring from their backpacks I guess to drown out the soothing melodies of the babbling brook. The next day we kayaked remote and scenic upstate and tiny Lake Desolation where the majority of the camp owners were from New York City or New Jersey. It's common at my old Stoner Lake and many upstate places. Am I just overly sensitive to this coming from hickville Virgil?

There are two prior references to this place in Chapter 437 and Chapter 463 . Not done with the adventure, there are more seasons and places in the Catskills to explore.